Forbidden Fears
by Nexylex
Summary: Saeko was going to bide her time. If she was good at anything it was making use of anything and everything. They saw her as a weak woman with no proper shinobi training. Saeko would admit she had let her emotions rule her, but not anymore. She was going to be free, even if her freedom meant ripping out every single beating heart from Kakuzu's chest.(Bounty Hunter sequel!)


_This sequel will be a slight reboot, but still follows the previous story heavily. I hope my writing improves with every story I share with you guys and I love reading all the comments you leave me! Just so it's known (and quite obvious..) I do not own Naruto, or any of it's characters. Thank you so much to my readers and subscribers for leaving me so many helpful tips and encouraging messages! Please enjoy!_

 **~ Chapter 1 ~**

No one hears the silent mental torment Saeko submits herself to behind a locked door. Her mind reeling through questions and escape plans. She knew her chances of getting away were slim to none, but it wasn't like her to just accept a dismal situation without even trying. She paced relentlessly within the small room that she was so graciously given to by an oversized fish man named Kisame. He had been less then gentle with Saeko when escorting her to her room. In retrospect she was the one that attempted to take a chunk out of his forearm as he drug her down endless hallways. He commented that she was acting very 'un lady like' which resulted in Saeko showing just how much of a lady she could be by flailing and spewing profanities with even more venomous rage.

After she was given the news of her father's agreement to whatever half-baked scheme Akatsuki had, Saeko was quickly whisked away to a separate room while the details were discussed. She hated waiting, and she hated being confined. It was suffocating to someone who was always on the move. The room had a small cot, a flimsy writing desk tucked into the corner, and a single wooden chair. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust and smelled stale with stagnant air. The room looked like it had been set up as a makeshift cell from what was once used as a storage closet. Saeko was beyond frustrated. With every small victory she clawed to claim, life seemed to find a way to wrestle it from her grasps. She found her father, and killed the man who ruined their lives, but it looked as if they were going right back where they started. How could her father so easily give up his freedom again? She couldn't understand what could possibly be more important than starting their lives over together without fear.

Minutes felt like hours as she muttered to herself while her legs scuttled under her, back and forth between fifteen feet of stone floor and thick rock walls. Her plans ranged from busting through the door as soon as someone opened it and making a run for it, to the desperation of digging her way out with her own hands. The later would prove impossible unless she had a pickaxe and several days to herself. Every time Saeko thought she heard footsteps approaching she paused and crouched low, readying herself to strike. Each time the steps would echo down the hall with purpose, and hesitate near her door, then continue on, leaving her in silence once more. Her back ached from the coiled tension, her focus trained on the door. She was surprised it didn't burst into flame from her intense stare.

Only when her body refused to move anymore did she finally let herself rest upon the dirty cot. It was obvious that she was going to be stuck here for quite some time. Her eyes were heavy, and watered either from the dust or her emotions boiling over. She was going to blame the dust of course.

A metallic click woke Saeko up from her dreamless nap. Her eyes flew open, and her body jerked mechanically upward, out of the cot. Her head spun from getting up too quick as she prepared to act on her first plan, Operation: Stun and Run. Before the person on the other side even had a chance to revel themselves she had already begun to charge at the opening door. A startled grunt followed by a slew of profanities gave her a hint of who she just sucker punched in the nose. Blood spurted from between the albino's fingers as he clutched his nose. His magenta eyes fixated on the small bundle of rage now trying to push her way past him to the hallway. "Is this how you greet all your visitors!?" Blood trailed down his pale lips as he spoke, his hand still clasped tightly over his gushing nostrils, muffling his nasal voice.

"Just the ones who lock me up! This makes it twice now I believe." Saeko went in for another jab, but was easily deflected with Hidan's free hand. He grabbed her fist then gave it a sharp twist, sending jolts of pain down her arm. While keeping the pressure he stepped into the room, forcing her to take steps backward toward the cot. He shut the door behind him with a hard kick, his anger obvious with the increasing, crushing strength he applied to her twisted arm. "I came here with some good news, but now I don't think I want to fucking tell you!" his voice started low and calm escalating quickly into a higher pitch of insanity. The hand clutching his nose dropped to his side, his expression held so many different emotions that Saeko gave up on trying to read him. Her jaw clenched tight as pulses of pain shot down her arm while Hidan effortlessly guided her to the cot. The back of her legs hit the edge, causing her to lose her balance and fall down on top of the dusty sheets. Saeko let out a yelp. She feared he was going to break her arm if he kept this up. "Okay, okay! I'll behave! Just let me go!" A sick smile slowly spread across Hidan's bloodied face, and the tension on her arm eased up, but he kept his grip firmly over her fist. Something flashed behind his eyes, a mixture between pleasure, and anger.

"That's a good girl…I know you're probably pretty fucking pissed and all, but you have to look at it this way! You're still alive!" Hidan slowly untwisted her arm, his palm warming her chilled hand still balled up into a fist. "So what's the good news huh? Unless it's about me and my father leaving this hell, then it can't be that great". Saeko's tulip shaped lips were parted into a snarl and her long dark brown hair a wild mess around her face. She looked feral to Hidan. Like a beautiful wild beast that was backed into a corner and was now fighting for its life. He liked this look on her the most, and had tried to find ways on the road to anger the woman just to see her green eyes light up with the intoxicating look. "Leader has agreed for you stay on our team. No harm will come to you or your father so long as the two of you do as you're told." As Hidan spoke Saeko's face fell and her eyes down casted to their joined hands. Hopelessness and a sense of déjà vu washed over her. Hidan paused in his relay of information. He didn't like this face. She looked beaten and ready to give up already. This wasn't the firecracker he had come to know on the road. "Our team will be given missions as mercenaries by those willing to cough up money" Hidan scoffed and glanced away from Saeko." …Kakuzu seems to like the change of pace at least" He mumbled under his breath unsure of how to deal with the new, silent Saeko.

She attempted to pull her fist free from Hidan's tight grip, which brought his attention back to her. A new fire was lit behind those green eyes, like smoldering ember "Fine, I'll play along for now…but I will find a way out… I always do." His smile returned with her spark. Saeko let out a gasp as she was jerked forward, her body crashing into the tall priest's chest. "And I can't wait to see you try…" His hot breath tickled her ear causing her breath to hitch in her throat. His words weren't threatening, but rolled out slowly with anticipated excitement. Saeko didn't even notice the absence of warmth or the missing presence of the man who was just standing before her. Hidan had left her standing there, frozen to the spot. The only sign that he had been there at all was the small puddle of blood beneath her feet and the ache in her arm.

Kakuzu had spent the remainder of the day in his room shuffling through stacks of requests. Villagers from all across the land had been contacting the Akatsuki about missions their own leaders refused to take. These missions were classified as immoral, acts of treason, or dealt with forbidden knowledge. Many of them were petty and thrown straight into the trash bin by his leg; others were stacked to the side to be viewed as potential missions. His thoughts kept drifting to the scrawny, rebellious girl he had been stuck with for longer then he cared to admit. Ever since she had declared Kakuzu as her prized bounty his days had been less then peaceful. He barely got quiet time to himself with Hidan around, but now his mind was plagued by her. Saeko was far from being an S class criminal in any bingo book, but she did have her usefulness. Her father would also play an important part in their leader's plans. Despite how things started, the turn of events was very profitable to the Akatsuki.

Kakuzu smirked under his mask, and for the first time in many years he felt at ease with thoughts of the girl. She was cunning, with a sharp tongue, and a passion that rivaled even Hidan's when it came to be annoying. It was never a dull moment when the two started spitting insults at each other. In the past Kakuzu would have preferred to work alone, but it seemed as if Saeko had wormed her way under his skin and wriggle there like the black threads he hosted. At least now the two idiots could fight each other instead of bickering at him. Every time he got to thinking about her too much he would become anxious. _Did she escape? Was she now roaming the halls looking for a way out? What if she managed to get free?_ His frantic worrying caused him to mistakenly throw away a good mission. He fished it out of the bin and placed it on the correct pile.

He growled and slammed his hand down on his desk and stood from his chair after making several more mistakes due to his lingering concerns. He had to check and make sure the slippery woman was still in her room. He had to make sure she was still there. He made his way to the bolted door and faltered outside the room. He could hear frantic footsteps from within, pacing back and forth, like a caged animal pacing their cage waiting to pounce. The footsteps abruptly stopped and the silence dragged on for several seconds. Kakuzu looked down and saw his hand placed upon the latch. His brow furrowed in confusion. Why was he so adamant about this woman? What did he care if she got out and made a run for it? The kiss they shared was to get her out of his system- to quench his curiosity. It seems his plan had back fired and instead of dulling the ember, it was now being fanned to life. He shook his head, ashamed how he was acting so irrational and continued back to his room. This however, only lasted for an hour, and he was right back at her door again.

He had to pull himself away from her door and order Hidan to speak with Saeko instead. He was already behind in his work, and succumbing to his new unusual behaviors was only wasting more time and money. He knew Hidan would probably pick a fight and end up doing something stupid but at least by telling her, her fate she could maybe accept her situation and let him finish his work.

The mission Kakuzu picked among the rest was a simple retrieval mission. A man from the Hidden Rain Village wanted an expensive artifact and was willing to pay twice the amount it was worth. It made no sense to the miser, but money was money and it was _a lot_ of money. Pein signed off on it and agreed to let Saeko go along on the sole condition that if she tried to escape, to kill her without question. Kakuzu could only assume they would try to play it off to her father as an accident- a risk that came with being a shinobi- not that she was one to begin with.

Hidan returned to the room they shared with a sadistic grin, and a bloodied nose that was still oozing. It was the same face he usually wore after a satisfying sacrifice. Kakuzu wouldn't put it past the crazed man to kill his new teammate for the sake of that ridiculous religion of his. "You didn't-"Hidan cut him off with a soft chuckle. "Of course not! She is too amusing to kill yet." His partner made his way to his side of the room and started stuffing tissues up his nose. "Looks like she got you good", He scoffed and rolled his eyes "lucky shot…Saeko is a loose fucking cannon". Kakuzu twisted in his chair and looked over his shoulder with a perked eyebrow. Hidan could only imagine a smirk under the black mask to match that smug squint in his eyes. "That loose cannon had me on a leash and you as a disembodied talking pet." He turned to face him fully and crossed his arms "Anyway, we have a mission now and Pein wants us to leave early tomorrow morning. The client is waiting for us to deliver a valuable artifact".

"I still don't understand why we are left to do these damned missions, while everyone else gets to hunt tailed beasts" Kakuzu could swear this grown man was actually pouting right now. The miser pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "It's our job to spread the Akatsuki name and earn enough money to keep us going. I told you everything runs on money". Hidan waved him off, he had heard this explanation countless times before and it still didn't make sense to the priest. "Yeah, yeah whatever…I'm going to crash. The next time you want to woo a lady, old man, don't ask me to talk for you." Before the ' _old man'_ could retort to Hidan's assumption he had already started snoring up a storm with the blankets pulled over his head.

Kakuzu could only sigh again and turn back to the stack of papers on his desk. He didn't reach for them but instead stared at the words written on them. He was hoping they would rearrange magically and tell him exactly what had caused him to hesitate. It wasn't like him to let something as casual as talking, scare him. No, confuse him would be more accurate. He had every intention of going to Saeko and speaking to her as partners. Instead the sub-conscious conversation that invaded his mind was foreign to him. He wanted to speak with her about what had happened at the brothel. He wanted to explain to her that it wasn't his intention to betray her when he gave her up to Saito. It was an internal war between not giving a damn how she felt, and fighting the choking squeeze on his hearts when he remembered her eyes full of disbelief and pain the moment he agreed to hand her over.

It would be a lot easier to work with someone who didn't hate your guts for sell them out to a man they hated. He glanced up at the clock above him. It was late, and he was going to need some rest to deal with Saeko in the morning. She would most likely fight them every step of the way until she tired herself out.

Saeko couldn't sleep that night, nor could she stop thinking about everything that had happened within the last few days. Even though she had kill Saito and freed her father a sense of unease was still gnawing her insides. "ARUGH! Why did I fall for his stupid lies and…-GOD! I'm such an idiot!" Her face burned from embarrassment and anger. She knew the rules of being a shinobi and should have known better then to just assume that Kakuzu, of all people, would actually care for her. The man had one love, money. He came to rescue her solely for the sake of her father's compliance. Now she would be stuck with the two zombie men even longer, and worse- she would have to live with the emotions eating at her heart. The kiss they shared was probably just some sick mind game, and she fell for that too.

The next morning came too soon for her. Her eyes were raw and sunken from the lack of sleep. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything for a whole day. Saeko was even too weak to move her head and look at whoever just entered the room. "Shit…did she die?" Hidan's familiar voice came out as a whisper as if he was afraid to wake the _'_ _dead'_. "If she did you are to blame." A sound of mock offence came from Hidan. Saeko could picture him clutching his Jashin symbol around his neck as if his partner just insulted his mother. "And why would I be blamed!?" "You were the one that was supposed to bring food when you came to talk with her..." a drawn out pause then an awkward throat clearing meant that he had forgotten. She silently cursed his terrible memory- not that she would have eaten anyway while she attempted to escape. A tall shadow loomed over her, blocking out what little light the lamp on the desk gave off. Her eyes lazily rolled to look up at the figure, locking her eyes to a pair of glowing green orbs. She hadn't seen the older man since she was carted away about two days ago. Seeing him again sent a new wave of confusion and sorrow through her tired body.

"Come on, we are leaving." He gave her no room to argue and was already pulling her from the cot with an assertive grip. She gave no resistance and let him drag her out of the room and down a series of hallways. Kakuzu could feel her using him as a cane, her limp arm dangling from his large hand. "Where are we going?" her voice came out gravely as if she had been shouting all night. Her condition was going to slow them down now. Kakuzu shot Hidan a glare, giving him a silent lecture on his poor attempt to follow orders. "We have been given a mission to find and deliver an artifact. A caravan, reportedly traveling in the area, is supposed to be in possession of it." Her silence and tired questioning eyes acted as a cue for him to continue. "The artifact is supposed to be linked to some old, dead clan-Very expensive." "Which raises the question on why don't we just take the thing for ourselves and keep the damn money?" Hidan quipped from Kakuzu's side. "Because, you idiot, the man is paying twice the amount its worth!" "Tch…whatever" Hidan rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh.

"Let go…" Saeko's voice lacked the bite it usually had, and instead came out as a plea. Had she truly given up already? Kakuzu almost felt pity as he let her arm go. It fell to her side, her head hung low. Something about seeing Saeko defeated like this angered him but he remained stoic under his mask. "Don't slow us down or I'll kill you." His orders were clear, and he intended to follow through with them. She merely nodded her head and trailed behind Hidan like a sad puppy.

She was going to bide her time. If she was good at anything it was making use of anything and everything around her. Play it smart and let them lead her out and think that they had won. They saw her as a weak woman with no proper shinobi training. Saeko would admit she had let her emotions rule her, but not anymore. She was going to be free, even if her freedom meant ripping out every heart inside the bastard. She'd even put Hidan right back into the hole she found him in.

Their first destination was a small tea house on the side of the road not too far from the hideout. It wasn't much bigger than a shack, but it looked cozy with rustic charm. The shop was nestled between a fork in the road with a sign tacked into the ground. To the left was the ominous name 'Land Of Fire', and to the right 'Land Of Wind. Saeko was drawn instantly to the left. Her heart sang out for them to follow it and prayed that someone would recognize her. Her luck would not let her have this glimmer of hope though. Kakuzu nudged her wary body to the right, prodding her back on track. She was hoping they would at least stop for some warm tea, but again no such luck. "Where is this caravan gonna stop at? I don't wanna fuckin trek all over Jashin's green earth for one piece of junk." Kakuzu pulled out a map that looked like it's been used way too much. The paper was thin and already tearing in several corners. "It's going to set up on the border of the land of wind. The merchants do business with the villagers there, selling exotic goods. It's scheduled to be there within a few days." Hidan frowned at the idea of the long walk and popped up the tall collar of his Akatsuki cloak. "Great, now we have to go to that shithole…Should have brought my umbrella. My beautiful fair skin will burn" Saeko was too quiet for either man's liking. By now she would have teased Hidan about being such a wuss or complained about walking to Kakuzu. This put Kakuzu on edge and made Hidan irritable. Which meant he was back to annoying his partner, which also meant he was back to beating the ever loving shit out of him until he couldn't talk for a few hours. They made good progress despite the slow pace. The three of them managed to make it a few miles shy of the border, and already the crunch of sand was beneath their feet. Kakuzu decided it was time to stop for the night- mainly because he couldn't take Hidan's moaning anymore. As Hidan lit the camp fire, Saeko busied herself by secretly stashing away things that could prove useful in the future. Some flint, a kunai she relived from Hidan's pouch while he left to gather firewood, and a pen that she took with her from the small storage room. It wasn't much, but if they were going to deny her, her gear then it was better than nothing. Maybe she could rig the pen into a spring loaded dart with poison. A stabbing pain from her stomach reminded her that she still hadn't eaten anything.

"I'm hungry…" her voice actually startled the two men who were currently finding suitable resting areas. Hidan visibly jumped and flinched as if Saeko had just lunged out to punch his nose again. "Geez you're actually still fucking here?" Hidan plopped himself down in front of the fire and dug into his Akatsuki cloak for something. "Here, until stingy over here eases up on food money this is all you're gonna get." His outstretched hand was a pale beacon within the fire's light. Saeko took what he offered and couldn't help but let out an exasperated groan. "These are poisonous berries Hidan! You trying to kill me!?" He gave he a bewildered look and held up his hands in mock surrender "oh yeah you totally figured me out! My plan was to kill you with fucking berries this whole time! For Jashin sake Saeko, I don't die! How am I supposed to know they were _poisonous_? They just make my stomach upset…" He reached out to take the berries back, his eyes narrowing in suspicion when she instead pocketed them in her beige vest. "And just what do you plan on doing with those?" Her eyes refused to meet his as she innocently smiled and leaned back against a tree. Its roots splay out around the camp, curling around her small body like a cradle. "Last thing we need is you puking up and bitching about being sick. I'll keep em so it's not tempting for you to snack on them." Saeko prayed that Hidan would be too lazy to put up any real fight for the berries.

"Yeah and if you accidently ate them Kakuzu will be pissed at ME for giving them to you"

"Like I'd be dumb enough to eat something deadly like _someone_ I know"

The two stared at each over for several moments, each daring the other to make a comment. Seconds ticked by as sparks flew. Simultaneous laughter deflated the tension like a deflating balloon as the pair clutched at their sides and laughed. The chuckles slowly died down when the twosome felt a burning glare from the opposite side of the camp. "What? Are you jealous that we have all the fun?" Saeko said with a smirk. "Hardly…but I am glad you are still talking." Hidan gasped and jabbed a finger toward Kakuzu's face "Holy Jashin! Who the fuck are you and what did you do with Kakuzu!?" Kakuzu's eyes narrowed, his covered face still displaying obvious annoyance. "Shut up Hidan and go to sleep already".

Saeko let a snicker hiss out between her teeth. Despite her loathing of the two, they never left her bored. "Night Ragdoll, night Periwinkle." Saeko nestled herself into the roots, trying to find a reasonably comfortable spot. "PERIWINKLE!?" Hidan's shout carried out over the clearing. "SHUT UP!" Kakuzu's voice bellowed out causing instant silence. Even the wind around them seemed to die down. Saeko actually enjoyed these moments. It felt almost a family- a fucked up, deranged, criminally employed family. She couldn't help the twitch of a smile as she drifted off to sleep.

Before the other two woke Saeko was up tinkering with her new contraption. She had managed to jerry-rig the pen's spring to shoot out a thin piece of wood she whittled down with the kunai acquired by _'_ _Periwinkle'_. The berry's dark purple juices coated the toothpick weapon- small, but deadly- just like her. She smiled at her accomplishment, and tucked it away up her sleeve for easy access. Saeko thought about how easy it would be to just sneak away now. Kakuzu didn't bother tying her up or even setting up a watch last night. Did that mean he trusted her enough not to run? No, more than likely he knew she _wouldn't_ run away. The zombie brothers were slow to wake, but managed to get back on the road within an hour. Of course Hidan started complaining right away about the scorching sun and his sensitive skin. He gave up on convincing Kakuzu to stop multiple times along the way to rest and was now using his cloak as a makeshift umbrella.

"The caravan is stopping in a small town just over those sand dunes. We go in, find the artifact and leave. No distractions- Saeko, and no detours- Hidan." The two groaned and rolled their eyes like two teenagers being lectured by their father. "I don't care! I just want this damn mission to be over already". "No promises on behaving big guy, but I agree, I just wanna be done with this…" Saeko nodded, her slighty cracked tulip lips pursed together in a pout.

Kakuzu was not exaggerating when he said that this was a small town. Only a handful of building dotted the horizon, all of them old and in need of repairs. Most of the residents looked older, their faces tanned and wrinkled well beyond their age from the sun and sandy wind. No one looked to be much of a threat if a fight did break out. From the looks of it the town didn't have a single shinobi walking the streets. This would be easy pickings for the three experienced ninja-however, this did make them stand out like a sore thumb, a sore thumb with striking black cloaks and familiar red clouds.

As soon as they entered the dusty streets the trio could feel several pair of eyes burning into their backs. "Is it just me, or are we getting a cold welcoming?" Hidan's pink eyes darted about with trained focus. Saeko kept her hand hovered over the pocket where the single Kunai was stashed, her gazed focused ahead, but her ears open. "Doesn't matter, just stay alert and keep moving". Kakuzu brazenly walked down the streets toward the heart of town where the citizens had set up produce stalls and other small portable storefronts. The closer they got, the more alive the town became. Saeko always knew the marketplace was where the life of the town was. Money was what motivated people, kept them alive. It's only natural that's where all the people would be, where money was made.

Saeko caught herself admiring Kakuzu while he was working. He was brave, assertive, confident, and strong, most things that she lacked. Saeko did have a level head on her shoulders and could talk her way out of most situations but she yearned to be capable. To be someone people respected and looked up to like Kakuzu. Even Hidan would look to the older man for guidance sometimes. He walked with purpose toward the bustling plaza, his multi-colored eyes scanning the shops for something in particular

"Do you even know what this thing looks like?" Saeko asked, skeptical of the information, or lack of.

"Bronze statue of twin dragons…" his voice was monotone as he focused his attention on locating whatever it was he was searching for. It wasn't much to go by, but now they had some idea of what to look out for. "There…" Without hesitated Kakuzu started walking again toward a covered wagon with a long portable table propped in front. A woman who looked to be in her late thirties was calling out to the crowds to browse her selection of fine jewelry and other decorative merchandise. It didn't look like she was getting much business. Her smiling face slowly fell as more people walked by, ignoring her completely. The people who lived in the Land of Wind were much more interested in items for their survival, like food, clothing, and medicine.

The woman sighed and slumped into the extravagant velvet arm chair, her hands cupping her face, her elbows resting on the table displaying her wares. She looked defeated and ready to pack up for the day. Her copper shoulder length hair was pulled back away from her face, a few droplets of sweat beading on her forehead. She didn't look like she belonged in this harsh land, like a delicate flower wilting. Her pale face was burnt from over exposure to the sun, dark freckles dotting her nose and high cheekbones. Saeko felt kind of bad for the lady as she watched the merchant fan herself desperately.

Kakuzu's imposing form threw a shadow over her, startling her. She jumped in the chair and let out a tiny squeak. "O-oh! Hello! Welcome!" She greeted, her cheerful smile returning once more. "How can I help-"Kakuzu's voice interrupted the woman with a gruff rumble. "I want this piece here". He pointed directed at a beautifully crafted statue depicting two dragons merging at their tails which coiled around one another as if fighting to hold onto one their twin for dear life. The statue was medium sized- big enough for two people to grasp each of the dragons' curved bellies like two handles.

Her eyes showed her disappointment, the back of her hand reaching up to wipe at the sheen of sweat on her brow. "I'm terribly sorry sir but that one isn't for sale…I use it to showcase my necklaces." The stunning statue was draped with several other glittering pieces of jewelry- each less impressive than the statue. "This here is my family heritage, passed down for generations! It's all I have left of my grandfather." The lady merchant sounded proud, her chest puffing out slightly as she spoke.

"Anything has a price, name it…" Kakuzu said.

"I can't…really…how about this one?" She motions to the left at another statue of a gryphon with its wings unfurled in a graceful suspended leap. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes at the stubborn woman and shook his head. "No, I require that statue." The lady opened her mouth to refuse again, but the dense _thuwmp_ of a coin bag being tossed onto the table silenced her. "Money isn't an issue." The merchant's mouth hung open at the sight of the bulging bag, an internal war raged on behind her ebony eyes. Saeko didn't like the look on the lady's face. It was a face she had seen on herself many times while on the run- the face of desperation, and shame.

"Kakuzu, come on…She doesn't want to sell it." Saeko gave his Akatsuki clock a gentle tug.

"I'm sorry…" the woman paused her feverish fanning and quickly scooped up the statue and tucked it away before she changed her mind.

"Thank you anyway misses!" Saeko pulled the miser away. He grabbed the satchel of money before turning away reluctantly.

"Well I guess that's a dud, mission over." Saeko said

"The caravan isn't leaving for another day. If she doesn't want to sell it then we are going to take it." Kakuzu pushed past Saeko and started to lead them out of the crowded plaza.

"Wait…what!? You just want to steal it from her!?"

"Naturally."

"Didn't you hear her? That's really important to her."

"Don't care" Kakuzu kept his back to Saeko as they walked, his voice uncaring.

"Get use to this shit Saeko. Jashin has a special place for people like Kakuzu." Hidan slicked back his hair which had been ruffled from the strong winds.

"So we steal a priceless statue from a woman that is the only thing she has left of her grandfather...Just how exactly are we doing this?" Saeko didn't like the idea of this whole plan. She knew what it felt like to lose someone precious. Only difference is that Saeko didn't have anything to remember her mother by- not even a photo.

"Not us, _you_." Kakuzu had stopped walking and was staring at Saeko over his wide shoulder, gauging her reaction. Saeko felt a mixture of confusion, shock, and disgust.

"Why me?" Saeko's head tilted, her arms crossed and brows pinched tightly. Sometimes she didn't understand how Kakuzu came up with his plans. It seems he decides based on who he can fuck over the most while getting what he wants. Classic Kakuzu for you.

"Because you are smaller, unsuspecting, and quick on your feet. Hidan would cause too much ruckus, and I would stand out."

"I can be quiet when I want to be!" Hidan said defensively. Kakuzu's eyebrow perked doubtfully and ignored the scorned priest. "You'll sneak in at night, grab the artifact and meet us outside of town." He spoke as if all this was no big deal.

To Saeko it was a pretty big fucking deal.


End file.
